ROCHESTER — In their work on the comprehensive rezoning project, Planning Board members are recommending that a portion of North Main Street be zoned “neighborhood mixed use,” which would permit small-scale commercial development in the area.

The rezoning document currently suggests that North Main Street portion between Claire Street and Cove Court, currently zoned Residential 1, be zoned neighborhood mixed use instead.

According to the most recent definition of a neighborhood mixed use zone, the district is meant to include both residential and small-scale commercial uses, which would serve the surrounding neighborhood. Such commercial uses would include businesses such as a real estate office, a dentist’s office, and a day care center.

During a recent Planning Board meeting, resident Lucien Levesque, who is a former city councilor, said that about 110 residents signed a petition to prevent their neighborhood from being rezoned. He said that in general, petitioners feel there is already heavy traffic on North Main Street, and a higher number of businesses would not help the situation.

“This will make it very tough and very dangerous,” said Levesque about the proposal to make the portions of North Main Street a neighborhood mixed use.

Planning Board Vice Chairman Derek Peters, however, noted that an error appears to have taken place with the petition. The petition, he said, states that residents would like their area to remain zoned as Residential 2, while the affected area is actually zoned Residential 1, a zone that is geared toward primarily single family homes.

At its meeting the Planning Board did not vote to change its proposal to have the North Main Street area become neighborhood mixed use. David Walker, the Planning Board representative to the City Council, said that enough safeguards are in place to restrict large-scale commercial development from taking place in that area.

“I don’t think they’re going to come down and build big boxes down North Main Street,” he said.